75880 - Forms and Textual Traditions of the Greek Literature in the Byzantine Age

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student - which must have a previous basic knowledge of Greek - knows the significant authors of the Byzantine literature, which role payed Byzantium in the production, spread, conservation, reworking process of literary texts, and in the development of the European civilization. He consciously exploits critical editions of Byzantine texts, and the research tools for exploring the textual transmission (in handwritten and printed form) of Greek works during the Byzantine and modern age.

Course contents

a) Production, reading, spread of the Greek literature during the Byzantine period.  b) Greek books that have been written in Italy in the Middle Ages, and in the Renaissance.  c) Introduction to describing and using different editions of Byzantine texts (in handwritten, printed, and digitized form).  d) From manuscript to print: How do look the Neoplatonic commentaries to Aristotle in the Byzantine manuscripts, and in the modern critical editions?

Readings/Bibliography

In addition to the materials that will be discussed in the course:

1) Aristotele, Organon, a cura di Giorgio Colli (Gli Adelphi 220), Milano 2003, rist. 2011: la sezione introduttiva dedicata alla trasmissione del testo in età bizantina e moderna.

2) C. D'Ancona (ed.), The Libraries of the Neoplatonists (Philosophia Antiqua 107), Leiden-Boston 2007, pp. 3-28; 135-153; 319-350.

2) L. Canfora, "La riscoperta dei Bizantini", in: G. Cavallo, F. Cardini (edd.), Lo spazio letterario del Medioevo, I: La cultura bizantina, Roma 2004, pp. 635-690

Teaching methods

Lessons; practical training for performing a critical edition.  From 29th September 2014 the students take a critical approach to the Greek language in its historical development, particularly through reading and translating different texts, that can be proposed by the students themselves: see Notices in the Professor webpage.

Teaching tools

Images of Byzantine manuscripts, books, teaching materials in PDF and PowerPoint. Visit to the manuscript department of two Italian libraries.

Office hours

See the website of Chiara Francesca Faraggiana di Sarzana